A Dartmouth study challenges the conventional view that the amygdala—the two-sided structure deep in the brain involved in emotion, learning, and decision making—is simply the brain's primitive "fear center," reflexively ...
Feb 24, 2026
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The neuropeptide oxytocin is a special messenger substance that nerve cells use to communicate with each other. It is acting as both a neurotransmitter and a hormone and is best known for promoting social behavior. However, ...
Feb 23, 2026
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Imagine soaring more than 400 feet in the air before landing on skis, launching off a nearly 50-foot platform strapped to a snowboard, or sledding face first over 80 miles an hour down a sheet of ice—on purpose. Spectators ...
Feb 21, 2026
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Picture a star-shaped cell in the brain, stretching its spindly arms out to cradle the neurons around it. That's an astrocyte, and for a long time, scientists thought its job was caretaking the brain, gluing together neurons, ...
Feb 20, 2026
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Past studies in animals have shown that a highly processed diet is linked to memory problems and inflammation in the aged brain—and the effect can happen fast, after just three days of poor eating.
Feb 19, 2026
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Children and adolescents already have a lot on their minds, from schoolwork to friendships to family dynamics. If they also worry about the safety in their own neighborhoods, those mental tasks might become even more difficult. ...
Feb 16, 2026
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"Butterflies in the stomach" is that fluttery, nervous feeling you might have before a job interview, giving a speech or at the start of a romance.
Feb 15, 2026
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Research investigating the effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on individuals with depression and comorbid anxiety reveals a dual impact of this noninvasive form of brain stimulation. Results showed ...
Jan 29, 2026
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Our minds have a tendency to latch onto negative experiences more strongly than positive ones. While occasional negative thoughts are a common human experience, persistent ones can trap people in a self-reinforcing cycle, ...
Jan 20, 2026
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Scientists have found that blocking microglia (specialist immune cells in the brain) prevents infant forgetting ("infantile amnesia") and improves memory in mice, suggesting that microglia may actively manage memory formation ...
Jan 20, 2026
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